Post-game thoughts

Greetings.

Sorry it took so long for me to file this. I had to file for the paper, then get in my car and drive to Rochester, N.Y., where I will catch my flight tomorrow morning.

And I had to stop to get something to eat.

So, how do you all feel about this victory? Here are some of my thoughts, in no particular order:

1. Funny how much differently one feels about a game when the team you're covering pulls out an overtime victory.

What if the Gophers had lost a close one in regulation or a heart-breaker in overtime? Then all the stops and starts, all the inconsistent play, would have suck out.

What if the Gophers were going home 0-1. Then you would wonder about the play of the offensive line, you'd wonder whether much of the pre-season hype about a more athletic defense was true.

Of course, the Gophers won. Weber made up for three inconsistent quarters with a fine fourth quarter, led a crucial game-tying drive and reconnected with his old pal Eric Decker to epic proportions.

So what do you think as you watch that game end? Instead of worrying where the season was going, you might think, well, they were playing in a loud, hot dome in front of an inspired team led by a new coach who had his team well-prepared. Oh, and two new coordinators were working on the sidelines in their first game with the Gophers.

So. Benefit of the doubt time. This was a road victory against a team from a BCS Conference. And the Gophers found a way to win, something I'm not sure some Gophers teams of the past would have done.

That said, to continue:

2. The Gophers will have to get more consistent offensive line play to succeed long term. The whole idea behind going to an offense that included a power-running facet was so the Gophers would be able to run when they had to. Then the Gophers fail to gain one yard on two consecutive plays in the first half Saturday? Coach Tim Brewster has said he wants his team to run for about 150 yards per game. They netted 112 Saturday.

3. Take away the yards Syracuse got with the Wildcat formation and the Gophers did a pretty good job slowing the run. They'll get much more of a test this week with Air Force, which ran crazy wild in a 72-0 victory over Nicholls State. OK, so it was Nicholls state, but still...At times Saturday, in the first half, the Gophers didn't look as fast as advertised. That said, the defense did make the necessary adjustments; Syracuse didn't score in after the second quarter.

They still need more edge rush.But maybe that will come.

4. I was rather impressed with punter Dan Orseske and kicker Eric Ellestad, both of whom played in a college game for the first time. You should have seen the smile on Ellestad's face after the game, the game-winning ball tucked into his backpack.

5. What was with Weber? For two and a half quarters he was really struggling. I mean, high throws, low throws, you name it. But he got it together when it counted.

6. We may know more about the ankle injuries sustained by Stommes and cornerback Marcus Sherels today. I think Ryan Collado did a good job as Sherels' fill-in.

8. Not the first time I've asked this: How good is Eric Decker? That catch he made in between two Orange defenders was wonderful.